International shares blog

[Messugga]

Interactive brokers
-10k USD minimum
-Interface looks dated
+Fees are good
+Access to every market known to mankind

Plus has a share lending program, which most brokers don't. That's proven surprisingly profitable - getting about 2k zar from that monthly for doing nothing.

They seem to be based in a few countries. What are the constraints on getting an account with them, if there are any?

 

[FatBoySlim]

Interactive brokers
-10k USD minimum
-Interface looks dated
+Fees are good
+Access to every market known to mankind

Plus has a share lending program, which most brokers don't. That's proven surprisingly profitable - getting about 2k zar from that monthly for doing nothing.

Thank you sir. Will check them out.

 

[HavocXphere]

They seem to be based in a few countries. What are the constraints on getting an account with them, if there are any?

Couple people on mybb have accounts

Moving money in over SWIFT would suck a bit for you guys though

 

[Messugga]

Couple people on mybb have accounts

Moving money in over SWIFT would suck a bit for you guys though

SWIFT's expensive, yes, and that would suck. I'd just funnel it via Investec - they can open a HSBC account in the UK for their clients. Haven't had the need thus far but something I've been looking at to aid in moving funds offshore.

 

[HavocXphere]

SWIFT's expensive, yes, and that would suck. I'd just funnel it via Investec - they can open a HSBC account in the UK for their clients. Haven't had the need thus far but something I've been looking at to aid in moving funds offshore.

Make sure you register with IB's UK branch then. UK bank account to IB is pretty fast...like 2-3 hrs and costs nothing.

The HSBC thing sounds very odd though. Investec has UK accounts - and opens them for people planning on moving to the UK. Bit surprised that they'd facilitate opening accounts with a bank they're not associated with AFAIK. If you can get an investec uk one do that assuming you're fine with the £10 fee...I've got both and not a huge fan of the hsbc one for various reasons

You'd be SWIFTing either way though (even investec za to investec uk) unless you use an internet thing. I use xendpay.com for smaller transfers which seems good but haven't trusted it with big transfers yet

 

[Messugga]

Make sure you register with IB's UK branch then. UK bank account to IB is pretty fast...like 2-3 hrs and costs nothing.

The HSBC thing sounds very odd though. Investec has UK accounts - and opens them for people planning on moving to the UK. Bit surprised that they'd facilitate opening accounts with a bank they're not associated with AFAIK. If you can get an investec uk one do that assuming you're fine with the £10 fee...I've got both and not a huge fan of the hsbc one for various reasons

You'd be SWIFTing either way though (even investec za to investec uk) unless you use an internet thing. I use xendpay.com for smaller transfers which seems good but haven't trusted it with big transfers yet

Investec leverages off of other banks a fair amount. Even in SA a lot of their stuff goes via ABSA. The HSBC account is an Investec account. They'll open it for any of their clients, it's just not free.